Aldon Smith apologizes for his suspension

Posted by Mike Florio on August 30, 2014, 10:48 AM EST

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On Friday, the NFL announced the nine-game suspension that has been imposed on 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, for multiple violations of the personal-conduct policy and substance-abuse policy. On Saturday, the NFLPA issued a statement on Smith’s behalf.

“I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the entire 49ers organization and 49ers fans for not being able to contribute on the field for the next several weeks,” Smith said. “Over the last year, I have learned a lot and I’m working hard to grow from my experiences. I want to thank my family and friends, my teammates, my union and the 49ers for supporting me during this process. I will be at work daily to participate in all permitted work activities, and to support my teammates, just as they have supported me.”

Smith largely has stayed out of trouble since his September 2013 DUI incident, but for that whole fake bomb threat thing at LAX. He’ll need to stay out of trouble going forward, or he’ll get suspended again — possibly even longer than nine games.

Speaking of nine games, we (or at least I) continue to believe that, with good behavior and given that Smith apparently waived his appeal rights under both policies, he possibly will be reinstated in fewer than nine games, if he can stay out of trouble and otherwise do what is expected of him.

It’ll be much easier for Smith to do that, given that he’s permitted to be around the team. The outcome remains confusing, since if he’d been suspended only under the personal-conduct policy, he would have been frozen out. Again, the apparent waiver of his appeal rights may have had something to do with that decision.

“I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the entire [team name] organization and [team name] fans for not being able to contribute on the field for the next [length of suspension] weeks”

700levelvet says:Aug 30, 2014 11:02 AM

Hello… My name is Aldon Smith, and I’m a complete idiot, my physicality has garnered me a chance to make millions and millions of dollars, but because I’m an idiot, I’m on my way to pissing it all away… Blame my upbringing and all the trauma I have endured, excuses are so convenient.. I hope to get a lot of positive feedback, like ” I hope the boy gets his life together”. They make me feel better and I can continue on my path of destruction, which is everyone else’s fault… Not mine

I’m the biggest Forty Whiner hater there is but I feel sorry for this guy.
He has some obvious addiction issues, and instead of those closest to him worrying about figuring out how they can save his LIFE, they are worried about how many games he will miss! Sadly, this won’t be the last time we hear about Aldon getting into trouble as a result of his drinking and or drug use. Can you imagine being a millionaire in your early twenties with an alcohol or drug problem? This will get uglier before it gets better. Oh yea, and he hasn’t even gotten his BIG payday yet. Wow! Trouble awaits.

Hopefully he can stay out of trouble for his own good. He has basically cost himself a season of a limited career and about 1.4 mil in earnings. You also have to wonder if he will still be the terror he was projected to be if he does truly change his lifestyle. Sometimes that fire that makes you great at certain things goes away when you change your escape mechanisms. I don’t really get the hate for what he’s done. Its not exactly praiseworthy but lots of you dogging him have likely done worse. For instance how many of you don’t support your kids or pay your bills? Odds are a good portion of you knocking him for this are deadbeats, tax cheats ect.

dfwhawkguy says:Aug 30, 2014 11:58 AM

Don’t worry, Aldon, 90% of that felon ridden roster can completely identify with you. Criminals up and down the Santa Clara roster and it’s one of the reasons the Hawks OWN them– no character in Santa Clara.

tootitan says:Aug 30, 2014 12:02 PM

I’m sick of these ‘boiler-plate’ apology statements that are so obviously designed to protect the image of the team or the league and have nothing whatsoever to do with the player being suspended. I’d be willing to bet that in many/most cases, the player involved doesn’t even see the statement or have an opportunity to sign off on it before it’s released to the press.

It would have just as much meaning if the league issued a book of numbered & pre-approved apology/excuse statements, then when a guy is suspended the team or the league could just say: “re. John Doe’s suspension: please refer to excuse/apology/explanation # 4”, or whichever number was appropriate.

Any twelve-stepper is familiar with the term ‘enabler’ and that’s what’s going on here. The NFL suspends a guy for however long, then ENABLES (and increases the chances of) his continued screwed up behavior by letting him off the ‘accountability’ hook and crafting an ‘apology’ (on his behalf) that sounds like it’s been written by lawyers or political speech-writers. The end result is that the player is spared having to face the very people he’s ‘apologizing’ to, which makes a complete mockery of “accountability”, one of the NFL’s favorite and most abused words.

But these players have been accustomed since high school or earlier, to being enabled, so here’s a radical idea for the NFL and its teams: How about a little transparency?How about making it a mandatory condition of EVERY suspension, that EVERY suspended player has to go on live TV and make a minimum five minute speech, offering his own apologies and his own explanations in his own words?

I’d suggest that after that, and in addition to any other conditions, any suspended player should have to do a few hundred hours of community service, working with underprivileged or hospitalized children, but I wouldn’t want some of these guys anywhere near my own kids, so I guess that’s out!

Don’t worry, Aldon, 90% of that felon ridden roster can completely identify with you. Criminals up and down the Santa Clara roster and it’s one of the reasons the Hawks OWN them– no character in Santa Clara.

____________________________

I know right?! The unwavering character of the Seahawks organization is exactly why you never see the wonderful hawks organization getting fined for any rule violations!

dfwhawkguy says:
Aug 30, 2014 11:58 AM
Don’t worry, Aldon, 90% of that felon ridden roster can completely identify with you. Criminals up and down the Santa Clara roster and it’s one of the reasons the Hawks OWN them– no character in Santa Clara

——————————

I’m no 9er fan, but the first thing that comes to mind when hearing “bad character” is the seahawks.

dfwhawkguy says:
Aug 30, 2014 11:58 AM
Don’t worry, Aldon, 90% of that felon ridden roster can completely identify with you. Criminals up and down the Santa Clara roster and it’s one of the reasons the Hawks OWN them– no character in Santa Clara.

———-

You obviously don’t know the Seasterisk PEDHawks yet huh? Well, being a new fan, we’ll give you more time.

I doubt he will be reinstated before the nine games are up just for not appealing and then behaving himself. If it did happen, people who are against guns and drinking-n-driving will come out of the woodwork claiming the NFL doesn’t care any more about those issues than they do about domestic violence. Others will argue that the only true sins in the NFL are PEDs and pot. Still others will argue that exceptional players always get preferential treatment.

Besides, when was the last time Aldon went a whole year without getting arrested?

Fair enough. Start apologizing for everything you have done and not been caught for. Go.

dirtysouthniner says:Aug 30, 2014 1:09 PM

We have all made mistakes, all of his are on full blast because he’s a public figure. Don’t throw any more party’s, get a driver and stop trying to play with tsa and he’ll be fine. Good luck to all fans and teams..